How Michael Bennett immediately improves the Dallas Cowboys defense
The loss of Tyrone Crawford really hurt the Dallas Cowboys. The trade for Michael Bennett eases the pain of that loss for this team.
When the Dallas Cowboys lost Tyrone Crawford to a season-ending hip injury, they lost their Swiss Army knife on the defensive line. Crawford’s ability to play defensive end and move inside on passing downs gave the Cowboys the ability to use his speed to beat interior linemen. With that aspect of their defense gone the Cowboys weren’t able to get as much pressure on quarterbacks recently.
Well, vice president of player personnel Will McClay and director of player personnel Stephen Jones notices this problem and were able to work out a deal with the New England Patriots. Sending a seventh-round pick in the 2021 draft that depending on how well Michael Bennett does can turn into a sixth-round pick. The Patriots were looking to move on from Bennett after suspending him last week after a disagreement with an assistant defensive line coach.
Their loss is the Dallas Cowboys gain as Bennett now reunites with his old defensive coordinator and current Cowboys defensive playcaller Kris Richard. Many people will wonder if Bennett will be a locker room distraction, but Richard wouldn’t have signed off on this trade if he thought it wouldn’t work. Now the Dallas Cowboys have essentially upgraded at the position with this move.
Bennett has shown his ability to take over games with the Seahawks and the Eagles during his time there. Now he’s joining a defensive line that has pass rushers in DeMarcus Lawrence, Robert Quinn, and Maliek Collins who will free him up to take on guards one on one. Now teams will have to decide to defend the interior of the line double-teaming Bennett or continue to slid protection towards Quinn and Lawrence.
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Teams respected Crawford when he was on the field but Bennett with his 65.5 career sacks and 244 tackles is a different monster and teams will now have to gameplan for him. Just imagine Lawrence, Bennett, Collins, and Quinn on the field at the same time. A beautiful sight for Cowboy fans and terrifying for opposing defenses.